


Cranberry Garland

by bethagain



Series: December Stories [4]
Category: Good Omens (TV), Good Omens - Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
Genre: 31 Days of Ineffables, Advent Fic, Crowley doesn't do christmas, Gen, cranberries
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-05
Updated: 2019-12-05
Packaged: 2021-02-26 06:35:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 459
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21679099
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bethagain/pseuds/bethagain
Summary: Crowley doesn't do Christmas. So why is there a cranberry garland in his window?
Series: December Stories [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1561195
Comments: 3
Kudos: 27





	Cranberry Garland

**Author's Note:**

> Day 4 of the 31 Days of Ineffables advent fic challenge. Today's prompt was _cranberry_.

Crowley doesn’t do Christmas. 

Christmas makes him think of Golgotha, and that’s not a memory he cares to revisit. Plus, he remembers what Jesus actually said, and he’s pretty sure the man would be horrified by a lot of what goes on in his name. Some birthday party, when people are out there bashing other people over Biblical mis-translanslations.

Crowley tends to hide out in December. He avoids Christmas carols, stalks past Santas. There are no sugarplum fairies dancing in _his_ head.

So why, then, outside Crowley’s window, is there a loop of cranberry garland? 

If you could look in through that window--but you can’t, because it’s on the third floor, and also the window only works one way.[1] But if you could, in December, you might see a red-haired demon sitting cross-legged on the floor, needle and thread in hand, with a few hundred bright red cranberries piled on the floor beside him. 

One berry at a time. Spear it with the needle, slide it along the thread. Next berry, needle, slide it along. Next berry. Next one. Next one. Next one.

It’s uncomplicated and easy and calm. Idle hands do the devil’s work, but sometimes a devil’s minion just wants to pause, take some time out. Let the simple rhythm drive away thoughts of the things humans do to each other, of what he’s supposed to do to help those things along. 

When the garland is done, thread tied off around the very last cranberry, Crowley carries it to the window. He leans out into the cold air, wraps one end around the hook that just happens to be there waiting for it, loops it across to the hook on the other side, then runs it back and forth until multiple strands hang across the opening.

Then he closes the window and goes about his day.

As the cranberries shine red against the darkened glass, London’s waxwings and robins find their way to Crowley’s window. Fieldfares and redwings. Crowley likes the blackcaps, especially, with their little dark-feathered hats.

No one outside can see through the window, but it lets in birdsong just fine. 

There’s a new garland in the window every few days in December, the old one taken down and replaced with fresh berries, neat new strands.

But it’s not a Christmas decoration, no. It’s just a little bit of sanity in a cold month, in a sometimes-diabolical world. 

\-----

1It’s a bit strange for the people across the way, but there are stranger things in London than a window that’s always reflecting a blank darkness back at you. Besides, there are other things to look at. Crowley’s next-door neighbor leaves their shades up at all hours. And for all activities.  [return to text ]


End file.
